Excavator bucket



l June 15, 1948. R, c, KELSEY 2,44346o EXCAVATOR BUCKET Filed Oct. 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

#frommen `lune 15, 1948. I R; C, KELSEY 2,443,460

EXCAVATOR BUCKET Filed om. 26, 194e l 2 sheets-sheet 2 IN V ENTOR. ,PAL Pf/ C/l'fzJfr BY Patented June 15, 1948 EXcAvA'roR BUCKET Ralph C. Kelsey, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Thel Cleveland Trencher Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 26, 1946, Serial No. 705,967

This invention relates to an improved excavating bucket and more particularly to an improved excavating bucket for a wheel-type excavating machine wherein the excavating or digging wheel comprises a pair of spaced rings, on the periphery of which the excavating buckets are mounted. These, therefore, are the general objects of the present invention.

An object of this invention is to provide an excavating'bucket which may be easily detached from the digging wheel and which, when attached to the wheel, will become rigid therewith.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an excavating bucket for attachment to a wheel-type excavating machine, which bucket will insure the excavating of a trench of sufflcient width to protect` the fastening devices used to secure the excavating bucket in place on the wheel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description which refers to a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The essential features of rthe invention will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a wheel-type excavating machine having my improved excavating buckets mounted thereon; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of an excavating bucket and a fragment of the excavating wheel; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the excavating bucket; Fig. 4 is a vertical section, the. plane of which is indicated by the lines 4-4 on Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical section similar toFig. 4 but illustrating the solid back member removed; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section as indicated by the line 6-6 on Fig..3; Figs. '1, 8 and 9-are sectional details as indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines on Fig. 6; Fig. 10 is a sectional detail, the plane of the section being indicated by the lines IO--IIJ on Fig. 3; and Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the bucket attached to a digging wheel. e y

The excavating buckets, with which this invention is particularly concerned, are mounted on excavators of the wheel type, such as that generally indicated in Fig.y 1. Such excavators may comprise a frame I mounted on crawlers II. A motor I2 is mounted on one end of the frame I I and an excavating wheel I4 is mounted on the other end thereof. The excavating wheel I4 isV generally supported by a boom or frame mem- Claims. (Cl. 37-91) The excavating wheel I4 comprises a pair of rings v2li which are mounted in a spaced, parallel relation on the boom I5 as, for instance, by suitable rollers one of which is indicated at I8 in Fig. 1. Each ring 2|) is provided with a series of pins or teeth 2| which vare engaged by a suitable sprocket,diagrammatically included in Fig. 1 at I9 and which is driven by the motor I2 to cause the excavating wheel to be rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig.V 1.

The excavator buckets 25 with vwhich this invention is particularly concerned are scoop shaped and each bucket comprises a substantially U- shaped body portion 26 having an outwardly flaring yforward lip portion 21. The body and lip portions of the bucket are made of metal of substantially the same thickness as that of the wheel rings 20. The edges 28 of the buckets are shaped to fit the peripheries of the wheel rings. Accordingly, the inner and outer surfaces of the bucket body form a continuation of the surfaces of the wheel rings and provide a smooth continuous surface so that when the bucket is moved to an inverted position (shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4), excavated material may readily drop therefrom by gravity.- l

The forward, outwardly flaring lip portion 21 of each bucket may be provided with a plurality of removable rooter members 30. These rooters are bolted to the outer surface of the bucket by bolts 3l. As shown in Figure 10 thelip portion 21 of the bucket 25 is provided with a plurality of openings 32 which extend through the lip andincrease in cross sectional area as they approach the inner surface of the bucket. These openings are preferably square in cross section 'and receive the heads l33 of the bolts 3l to retain them in position and vprevent turning thereof.

The bucket back may comprise ar series of spaced rods or'tines 35. These tines are preferably removably mounted inV socket members 36 which are secured'to the body portion 26 of the bucket as by welds 31. The rods 35 are secured in the socket by bolts 38. The rods or tines 35 are preferably of such length as will project from the'wall of the bucket into the space between the wheel rings 20. The walls of the rings thus supplement the walls of the bucket and increase the capacity thereof.'

Each bucket 25 is secured to the wheel rings 20 by a pair of elongated plates or bars 40. The bars 40 arerapplied to the outer faceof the bucket body` 26 and extend diagonally thereacross so that the upper surface 4I of each bar underlies and abuts the lower edge 42 of the outwardly flaring lip portion 21 of the bucket. The bars 40 arese'cured to the bucket body. by welds 43, and to thelower-edge of theoutwardly Haring lip portion 21 by welds 44. Each bar 40 is of suflicient width to extend downwardly and engage 3 the outer face of its respective wheel ring 26. lThe bars are secured to the rings-'2Q by `bolts 45'. The portion` 2l of the bucket flares' outwardly ya distance suiiicient to insure the excavation of a trench of suiicient width to provide clearance'l This protects the bolts. .andY

for the bolts 4s. v facilitates replacement of the bucket. Theweld` ing of the flange or lip portionwl to `the bars, dii provides an especially rigidzstructure whi'clrrv,

maintains the forward portion of the bucket at its maximum width by preventing. the .collapse Eil which are secured to the :bucket as,for instance, by welds-EE- In` the` drawings I have shown one lug, 54, but a plurality of such lugs' r may be used if desired.

From the foregoing speciiicationV it will be seen` that I have provided. a rigid excavating bucket which is particularly adapted for use in connection with rotating digging wheels andwhich is adapted to be readily replaced, vthus increasing the life or the digging wheel.` bucket is so constructed as to `facilitate the use of a solid back plate without interfering with other parts of the bucket and without attachment to the bucket itself.

The flaring of the forward edge of the bucket and the reeniorcement of the'i'la-ring portion adjacentthe side of the bucketvby .thewelding of the attaching platerthereto results in an lexceedingly rigid structure having a minimumweight. The flaring of the -bucket insuresthe excavation of a trench of -suieient width to provide clearance, not only iortheheads of thebolts which attach the bucket to thediggingwheeLbut also for the pins'orteeth-like formation of the The improved l wheel which coact with the driving gearito .ro- 1 tate the wheel.

l'. claim:

l. An excavating bucket for Yan` :excavating wheel having a pair of spaced annular rings,.said bucket comprising a U-shapedA body portionv adapted to be mountediin edge-relation -with the wheel ring to space the ringshand provide a smooth and continuous inner and outer surface,

said body portion being .provided with a forward portion flaring outwardly beyond the outer. faces of the rings, an elongated bar applied to the meeting edges of the body portion and each ringonthe outer surfaces thereof and-extending diagonally relative to such meeting edge, the forward pore tion of the bar underlying the edges of the outwardly flaring portion of theV bucket, said bar being secured to the outer face of the body-portion, and to the lower edge of the outwardlylaring portion of the bucket.

2. An excavating bucket for an' excavating wheel having a pair of spaced annular rings,said' bucket comprising a substantially U-s'h'aped body portion the legs of which are adapted to 'be' mounted in edge relation with the wheel'rings'to thereby provide a continuation of inner varrdo'uter surfaces of such rings, thelegs of saidbodyporL tion each being provided with a forward portion` flaring outwardly beyond the outer faces of the rings, an elongated bar iapplied--to the. meeting edges *ofy and overlying ithe'body.' portion and each ring and extending diagonally relative to such meeting edge, the forward portion of the bar underlying the edges of the outwardly flaring portions; saidbar being welded to the outer face of thebodyportion, yand a weld for uniting the upperfedge of thebarto the lower edge of the outwardlyraring portions of the bucket.

3. An excavating bucket for an excavating wheel having a pair of space-d annular rings, said bucket1comprising a U-shaped body portion, the legs of which are arranged and adapted to be mounted edgeto vedge with respective wheel rings to providesmoothand continuous inner. and outer surfaces therewith, said body 'portionrv beingprovided with a forwardly andoutw'ardly haringin-V tegral lip portion, an elongated bar appliedto the.. meeting edges of the bucket and 'theringl .and exe.' tending diagonally: relative to the meetingedge,... said b'a'r overlying the body portion of fthebu'cketk and underlying the edge4 of th outwardlyflaring portion thereof, 'a weldfor-'securing thebar to.

the bodyportionand to the outwardly iaiing. portion, bolts extending throughs'aid bar for se-4 curing the bucket to 'the' rings and whereinsaid outwardly flaring portion extends outward1y`beyond the bar-a distance substantiallyequal t the thickness of the metal to thereby prevent .col-

lapsing of the aring'po'rtion of the bucket in r'egions'adja'cent the' ring land'thus insure the' cutting of a'trench of a predetermined width.

4. An excavating bucket for an excavating wheel having a pair ofspa'ced annular ringasaid bucket comprising a U-shaped vbody portioriV adaptedtobe mounted in edge .relation fwith" the hwheel ring to space theV rings vand provide `a smooth and continuous inner andy outer Surface f therewith, said'bodyportion being `provided!with a forwardzp'ortion flaring' outwardly beyond the outer 'faces of the'rings, an elongated'bar applied' to th'emeeting edges of the body 'portion and' each` ring and'l extending diagonally'v relative to'such vmeetin'g'edge, the forward .portion of the bar una derlyingthe "edges vof `the outwardly flaring. por.

tion -ofV the bucket,` said bar being secured to' the outer face'of VtheA body portion, and' to thel'owe'r", edge'pf the outwardly'flaring' portion' of the l"bucket-a series of 'spaced ltines'securedto'tthe" body portion adjacent 'its' rearrnost redge "an'dexe tending upwardly into saidseatand downward: ly vinto the space between the"rings,"a lug'secured to Ethe body portion vand" spaced `forwardly of oneofsaid tines and forming "a seatt'herebe`v` tweema backplat'e for said bucketext-ending'beL tween the*v walls thereof' an'dbetween ysaid rings, flanges on said plate, and'meanslto-securesaid flanges to `said rings.

to coactwith one of saidtinesto-for'rn-a seat therewith, la solidbackplatel 'for 'said' bucket" adaptedv to project into-said seat' and Vextend"into the space between-said ring'syand' means tosei cure the lower edge -of-'said plateto'respective rings. w

RALPH C. KELS'EY. 

